Archive for the ‘UMaine in the News’ Category

Alyssa Chauvette, a first-year graduate student in the School of Social Work at the University of Maine, wrote an opinion piece for the Bangor Daily News titled “Maine’s criminal justice system needs a better way to handle the mentally ill.” Chauvette received her undergraduate degree in social work from UMaine and works as a graduate research assistant in the UMaine Office of Assessment.

The Weekly and The Maine Edge reported on the University of Maine Museum of Art’s spring exhibitions that will open to the public on April 3 and run through June 6. The exhibits are Andy Warhol’s “Photographs and Screenprints,” Elizabeth Livingston’s “Dark Houses” and Jennifer Caine’s “Amnesia.”

The Ellsworth American reported two University of Maine studies found a diet containing wild blueberries may improve certain characteristics of metabolic syndrome, including lipid status and inflammation. The studies were conducted by Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, a clinical nutritionist and professor at UMaine, and were published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry and British Journal of Nutrition. Having metabolic syndrome increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to the article. “Metabolic syndrome is a growing health problem in the United States, impacting roughly one-third of our adult population,” Klimis-Zacas said. “We are pleased to report our research indicates that wild blueberry consumption can have significant and positive health impacts on several components of this serious health condition.”

The Maine Edge published a University of Maine news release about Send Silence Packing, a national traveling public education exhibit of 1,100 backpacks that represent the 1,100 college students who annually die by suicide. Members of the UMaine and local community are invited to experience the exhibit from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, April 2. Send Silence Packing is a program of Active Minds Inc., a national nonprofit with a mission to engage students in discussions about mental health.

The Weekly published a University of Maine news release announcing 47 members of the UMaine community, including 41 undergraduate and graduate students, were inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and largest collegiate honor society, during the chapter’s annual meeting on campus March 19. Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 at UMaine by 10 seniors in an effort to start an honorary society that recognizes outstanding students, faculty and staff from all disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi has since grown to an international society with more than one million members from more than 300 campuses across the United States, Puerto Rico and the Philippines.

The Climate Change Institute (CCI) at the University of Maine and its director, Paul Mayewski, were mentioned in the Portland Press Herald article, “Looking for edge, Maine plunges into Arctic policy.” Maine is positioning itself as a player in Arctic politics, which could increase opportunities for Maine’s climate researchers and several business sectors, according to the article. As Arctic sea ice continues to melt because of climate change, shipping lanes across the top of the world will become more viable, the article states. The CCI, which was established more than 40 years ago, was cited as “one of the nation’s oldest research institutes dedicated to understanding the climate.” Mayewski said as the Arctic Ocean warms, the effects will be felt in Maine. “We have this very long perspective on how the Arctic operates,” he said. “It is very important that Maine play a critical role.”

The Maine Public Broadcasting Network reported a University of Maine study found more than half of Mainers surveyed say they would be willing to pay extra in their electricity bills to support more efficient and/or cleaner fuel development. The study also found 37 percent of the nearly 400 respondents viewed energy efficiency and renewable energy investments as complementary. UMaine economist Caroline Noblet and colleagues conducted the study in 2013. “What we found was that people are in general supportive,” Noblet said. “So we had 52 percent of our respondents say that they would agree to that energy scenario where we invest in renewable energy or energy efficiency.”

WABI (Channel 5) reported on the Maine National History Day competition held at the University of Maine. More than 300 students and teachers from 36 middle and high schools took part in the contest that promotes critical thinking, research and presentation skills through project-based learning for students of all abilities. Student exhibits, websites, documentaries and performances were on display and judged, with the top state winners becoming eligible to compete in the national contest. “Any time you can see high school and junior high students who are interested in this kind of thing, I think it’s incredibly important. It makes me excited that they’re excited about this kind of stuff,” said UMaine political science professor Mark Brewer. For the second year in a row, a partnership between UMaine and the Margaret Chase Smith Library, with support from the Maine Humanities Council and the Maine Historical Society, brought the event to campus.

Jason Bolton, an assistant extension professor and food safety specialist at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, was interviewed for a Portland Press Herald article about food safety in restaurants. Recent efforts by health inspectors to bring local restaurants into compliance with federal regulations and reduce the risks of potentially dangerous foodborne illnesses are clashing with some of Portland’s cutting-edge restaurants that use locally sourced ingredients to make inventive dishes, according to the report. Bolton reviews all Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points plans for Maine restaurants. The plans are required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for large- and small-scale food producers. “It forces them to look at the hazards and where things can go wrong and document that they are doing things correctly,” Bolton says of the HACCP plans. Health inspectors also have been taking classes at UMaine to learn about cooking processes that expert chefs have already mastered, the article states. “One of the challenges is getting all of the inspectors up to date,” Bolton said. “People are coming in at all different levels of knowledge. It’s a complicated system.”

The Bangor Daily News printed an interview with Karlton Creech, the University of Maine’s director of athletics. The interview, published in question-and-answer format, contains both personal and professional questions that range from “What is the best part about living in Maine” to “What is your vision for the University of Maine’s athletic program?”